Apparatus for severing cast iron pipe and the like



May 27, 1958 c. J, WHEELER 2,835,969

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING CAST IRON PIPE AND THE LIKE Original Filed Nov.9, 1956 CHARLES J. WHEELER FIG. 4 ByC-T91 ATTORNEY United StatesPatent() APPARATUS FOR SEVERING CAST IRON PIPE AND THE LIKE Charles J.Wheeier, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to Wheeler Manufacturing Corporation,Ashtabula, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application November 9,1955, Serial No. 621,408. Divided and this application October 29, 1957,Serial No. 693,152

6 Claims. (Cl. 30-92) This invention relates to the cutting of hollowarticles, and more particularly relates to new and improved readilyadjustable apparatus for cutting cylindrical or tubular articles.

This is a divisional application based on my prior application SerialNo. 621,408, led November 9, 1956, and a continuation-in-part of myapplication Serial No. 578,208, led April 16, 1956.

Up to the present time, the cutting of hollow articles, especiallycylindrical or tubular articles such as various types of conduits orpipes, notably cast iron pipe, frequently has been a diicult andtime-consuming operation. Cast iron pipe of Varying sizes and wallthicknesses is typical of a hollow article which has heretofore beenespecially ditiicult to cut quickly and accurately. For that reason,cast iron pipe is particularly referred to throughout the specificationand claims although it is to be understood that the practice of thisinvention, while especially advantageous in the cutting of cast ironpipe is not limited thereto.

Cutting of cast iron pipe heretofore has generally involved the use ofhack saws, cold chisels and/or cutting apparatus rotatable oroscillatable about the pipe to eiect cutting thereof. While, in someinstances, these prior techniques may be satisfactory, certaindiiiculties generally characterize each of these procedures which rendertheir use disadvantageous in many applications. The use of metal cuttingtorches also has been employed but there are limitations, too, in theuse of such a technique.

The use of both manually operated and power hack saws, while affordingmeans of cutting pipe accurately, generally is slow and relativelycostly since the saw blade life often is relatively short. Moreover, itwill be appreciated that, at times, the use of a power hack saw iseither impracticable or impossible. Moreover, where pipe installation isbeing carried out in construction work, serious space limitationsoccasionally are encountered which render the use of any type `sawdifficult. The use of chisels in the cutting of pipe frequently leads torelatively inaccurate and slow cutting. In addition, as with the use ofsaws, space limitations at times also impose restrictions on the use ofchisels or other similar cutting devices.

Perhaps one of the most common types of pipe cutter employed up to thistime has been one embodying a device adapted to be rotated or oscillatedabout the pipe during the cutting operation. While such devices oiiercertain advantages over other prior means of cutting pipe, theserotatable or oscillatable cutters have not provided a completelysatisfactory solution to the problem of accurately and quickly cuttingpipe, especially under conditions where cutting cost and spacelimitations are additional factors to be considered.

While the invention described and claimed in my abovementionedapplication comprises a highly advantageous apparatus and method, andrepresents a singular advance over the prior art, the present inventionrepresents an ICC improvement thereover which provides a more rapid andsimple control and ready adjustment of the compound leverage pressureclamp to facilitate cutting articles of varying sizes.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to avoid thediiculties heretofore encountered and to provide a new and improvedmethod and readily adjustable apparatus for cutting pipe or other hollowarticles of varying sizes.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to avoid thedifficulties heretofore encountered and to provide a new and improvedmethod and readily adjustable apparatus for cutting pipe or other hollowarticles of varying sizes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of new and improvedadjustable apparatus for cutting hollow articles, notably cast ironpipe.

A still further object of the invention is to provide new and handoperable, adjustable apparatus for quickly and accurately cutting pipe.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear morefully from thefollowing description thereof: i'

Apparatus of this invention adapted to cut a hollow article generallyincludes at least one cutter having a cutting edge adapted, whilesubstantially stationary with respect to the article, to exertradially-directed, articlecutting pressure and readily adjustable meansto apply pressure to said cutting edge. A preferred embodimentcontemplates adjustable apparatus which is adapted to providecircumferentially uniform radial article-cutting pressure at a pluralityof uniformly spaced points on said article, i. e. around thecircumference of the article where cutting is desired.

A more specifically preferred embodiment of apparatus of this inventionutilizes a plurality of cutters connected into a non-extensible linkageadapted to surround the article to be cut and while stationary withrespect thereto to apply, via a readily adjustable compound leveragepressure clamp more fully described hereinafter, uniformlycircumferentially distributed, radially-directed pres-sure sucient tocut the article, e. g., four inch diameter cast iron pipe, withoutrotation or oscillation of the apparatus about the article.

Briefly, the present invention specifically contemplates cutter.apparatus comprising a non-extensible linkage including a plurality ofspaced cutters and a readily-adjustable compound leverage pressure clamphaving a first jaw secured to one end of the linkage and a second jawpivotally secured to said rst jaw and adapted to engage the linkage at apoint dictated by the size of the article to be cut, the second jawcomprising two pivotally but adjustably and rigidly secured elementswhich permit ready and simple adjuetment of the jaw spacing to eifectcutting of articles of varying sizes.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially in section and withparts broken away, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. l taken alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of anotherembodiment of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, in Figs. l, 2 and 3, thereis illustrated apparatus of this invention disposed in position about apipe 11 to be cut. The apparatus comprises, in combination, a firstpower lever 10 pivotally joined at a rst common pivot 12 to a similarsecond power lever 14, the levers having closure stops 13 and 15,respectively, therebetween. Pivotally secured at 17 to the first powerlever 10 at one end is a rst clampijaw 16 which at its opposite'end ispivotally*- secured V'atV '19 to a cutter linkage indicated generally at18.

Pivotally Ysecured to the second power lever 14 adjacent the rst commonpivot'12, at 20 is a second clamp jaw designated generally atl 22and-comprising in comkl'ainatiofnla rstjrig'idelement' 2 4 and a secondrigid' ele'- mentl', the latter Yelement' adapted toYY engage'the'cutter linkage 18-via a clamp "or hook V28. The Vii'rsft rigidA element24 and second rigid element 26 are pivotally joined at via a pin* 31 andare provided with lateral extensions V32 and 34,respectively,'substantially at right angles thereto. Pivotally securedtorextension 34.at 36 is a threaded stud 38' extending throughVextension 32' and threadedly engaged by knurled nuts 40 and 42. Clampjaws 16 and 22 are pivotallyV joined in a pivotal connection 44 by apin45 substantially underneath the pivotal connection @connecting thefirst-and second rigid elenents 24 and 26 ofthe second clamp'V jaw 22.Fi`g.4 illustrates. another embodiment of the invention Vwhereirrastud38",*pivotally'se'cured to an extension 34 mediumrc'arbon steels. It beunderstood, of Vitxiu'rse,Y

that as a practical matter the particular steelremployed in formingVrthe cutters and cutting edges is dictated by a consideration of thehardness, brittleness, availability, etc. The angle included between thesurfaces-defining a cutting edge generally mayA be varied also, atypically preferred angle being about 45.

. It isrto, be understood that although .the invention has beendescribed with specific reference to particular embodiments thereof, itis not to be so limited, since changes and alterations therein may bemade which are within the full intended scope of this invention asdefined by the appended claims. l. Y

What is claimed is:

Vl. Apparatus for cutting a hollow article, said apparatus including atleast one cutter havin'ga cutting edge capable of cutting'said articlewhile disposed there- 'Y about and stationary with respect thereto, viaradially- Y directed pressure, andy a compound leverage pressure of asecond rigid element 26 extends through an exten- Y Q sion 32 and isthreadedly' engaged on Vone side thereof 'by'a nut '50 and resilientlybiased against the opposite side of'extension'SZ bya spring 52 and astop plate 54. The other elements shown in Fig..4'correspond to theeleinentsV shown in'Figs. fl, 2 and 3 having the same, but unprimednumbers. j

In apparatus of this invention, cutting pressure is appliedby pressing'together the power levers 10 and 14, thus forcing apart the pivots 17and 20 and thereby pivotingfwith greatly increased force, clamp jaws 16and 22 about the pivot44` with the result that a high degreeY of tensionis applied to the cutter assembly disposedabout the pipe to be cut: YThis tension transmits a circumferentially-uniformi, radially-directedpressureY which etects a clean; sharp cutting of the pipe. c Y j Toadjust the apparatus, nuts 40 and 42, preferably l knurled as shown, areloosened and tightened after adjusting the relative positions of rigidelements 24 and-'26,

thereby adjusting the spacing of clamp jaws 16 Vand-22 to permit cuttingarticles of varying sizes. It will be appreciatedyhencmthat apparatus ofthis invention permits'rapid and easy hand adjustment of the cutter inuse to cut articles ofA widely varying sizes.

The cutter assemblyreferred to generally at 18 comprises apluralityoflinks 21 supporting uniformly-spaced cutters 23 assembled into Aanon-extensible chain or. linkage-by pins 25 extending throughV saidcutters land links to permit engagement thereof by` the hook V23 ofelement 126, said assembly adapted when disposed about an article to Vbecut, e. g., pipe 11, to eiectcutting thereof whilel stationary withrespect thereto when tensio'nrs applied to said vcutter assembly by theYclamp jaws 16 and 2.2. s l

The'v'arious cutters, clamp Vjaws andother apparatus elements describedherein may be formed ofrany suitable metal, alloy, or other Yhighstrength material capable .of

transmitting pressure `to the pipe or other article to be Vcut Withoutcracking YIllustrative Yof suitableY materials are various high strengthsteels including high carbon steels and low or shattering or too rapiddulling.V

` clamp .for applying said pressure, said clamp comprising,

in combination, a pair of power levers pivotally joined at a firstcommon pivot, a tirst clamp jaw pivotally secured at one end to one ofsaid power levers adjacent said first common pivot and at its oppositeend to said cutter, -an adjustable second clamp jaw, comprising,rincombinatioma first rigid element pivotally secured at one end to theother power arm adjacent lsaid iirst com- IrionY pivot and atit's'opposite end about a second common pivot to a second rigid elementhavingmeans thereon to engage said` cutter, said' tirst and second rigidele- Vments havinglateral extensions thereon and meansjto lock saidyfirstrigid element and said second rigid ele-A mentinto a'rigidclampjaw, said iirst and second clamp jaws being pivotally connected at athird common pivot intermediate'their ends.l Y Y 2. Apparatus accordingto claim l wherein said cutter comprisesY a non-extensible linkageincluding a plurality of cutting adges;`

3. Apparatus according .to claim l wherein said cutter comprises anon-extensible linkage providedwith a plurality of circularV cuttingedges.

4.Y Apparatus' according to claim l wherein the means to Yetect lockingof said Vtirst and second rigid elements into a rigid second clamp. jawcomprises a threaded stud secured Yto one of said lateral extensions andextending through the other extension said stud having at least 'one'lockingfnut thereon to permit ready alteration 'of theV relativepositions of said elements` about said common pivot thereby to adjustthe spacing of the clamp jaws.

5.. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the Vpower levers are joinedpivotally through lateral. extensions at one end Vthereof and said clampjaws pivotally originate from the ends of said levers.

6. Apparatus according to claim liv/'herein the means Y to effectlocking of rsaid rst and second rigid elements No references cited.

